Thomas Shugart, founder of Archer Strategic Consulting and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the tools and tactics of warfare have changed in the past decade and whether the U.S. military is adapting fast enough to deter a great power war.   This is the second episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Thomas Shugart, "Blue Planet, Red Planet: A New World of Contested Maritime Power," The Shugart Update   Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Dome: It's Past Time for an Emergency Anti-Drone Hardening Program," The Shugart Update   Thomas Shugart, "Forging Ahead: The PLA Shows Us What It Wants Us to See," The Shugart Update   Thomas Shugart, "Has China Been Practicing Preemptive Missile Strikes Against U.S. Bases?" War on the Rocks    Thomas Shugart, "Mind the Gap, Part 2: The Cross-Strait Potential of China’s Civilian Shipping Has Grown," War on the Rocks   Thomas Shugart, "There Are No Magic Beans: Easy Options to Deter China Militarily Do Not Exist," War on the Rocks    Thomas Shugart, "The United States Can’t Afford to Not Harden Its Air Bases," War on the Rocks   Thomas Shugart, "Trends, Timelines, and Uncertainty: An Assessment of the Military Balance in the Indo-Pacific," Center for a New American Security   Timothy A. Walton and Thomas Shugart, "Concrete Sky: Air Base Hardening in the Western Pacific," Hudson Institute    We Are China, "Forging Ahead - Episode 1: Orders Are Sacred 第一集《军令如山》," Youtube.com   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-americas-next-battlefield-thomas-shugart

Rush Doshi, the C.V. Starr senior fellow for Asia Studies and director of the China Strategy Initiative at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the United States is reckoning with the rise of China and a world of renewed geopolitical competition.   This is the first episode in a special series from The President’s Inbox, bringing you conversations with Washington insiders to assess whether the United States is ready for a new, more dangerous world.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Rush Doshi, The Long Game: China's Grand Strategy to Displace American Order, Oxford University Press   David J. Lynch, The World’s Worst Bet: How the Globalization Gamble Went Wrong (And What Would Make It Right), PublicAffairs   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/are-we-ready-china-reckoning-rush-doshi

Kori Schake, Senior Fellow and Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of civil-military relations as President Donald Trump remakes the senior leadership of the U.S. military and deploys the National Guard to U.S. cities.    Mentioned on the Episode:   William Manchester, American Ceasar: Douglas McArthur, 1880-1964, Back Bay Books   Kori Schake, The State and the Soldier: A History of Civil-Military Relations in the United States, Polity   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at:  https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/civil-military-relations-under-trump-kori-schake

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle East studies and the Council, and Ed Husain, senior fellow at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks and whether President Donald Trump's twenty-point peace plan will produce a lasting ceasefire.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Elliott Abrams, "The Teaching of Hate in Jordan," CFR.org   Naftali Bendavid, Scott Clement, and Emily Guskin, "Many American Jews Sharply Critical of Israel on Gaza, Post Poll Finds," Washington Post   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/two-years-since-october-7-elliott-abrams-ed-husain

Matt Waxman, adjunct senior fellow for law and foreign policy and Liviu Librescu Professor of Law at Columbia University sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the legality of the Trump administration's military strikes against drug traffickers and the implications for U.S. foreign policy.   Mentioned on the Episode:   James Madison, “Federalist No. 51,” The Federalist Papers   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/legality-trumps-drug-boat-strikes-matthew-waxman

Liana Fix, senior fellow for Europe at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Russia’s recent drone incursions into Polish airspace, and whether the move signals an expansion of the war in Ukraine.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Liana Fix and Erin D. Dumbacher, “Russia Tests NATO With Poland Drone Breach,” CFR.org   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/russia-violates-nato-airspace-liana-fix

Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the feasibility of a multi-layer missile defense system for the United States.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Phillip L. Swagel, “Effects of Lower Launch Costs on Previous Estimates for Space-Based, Boost-Phase Missile Defense,” Congressional Budget Office   Todd Harrison, “How Much Would a Space-Based Missile Interceptor System Cost and Does It Make Sense?” American Enterprise Institute   Todd Harrison, “Is Trump’s Golden Dome a Brilliant Idea or a Gilded Boondoggle?” American Enterprise Institute   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/golden-dome-missile-defense-system-todd-harrison

Michelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what urbanization, a youth-heavy population, and social media mean for politics across the African continent.   Enter the CFR book giveaway by September 23, 2025, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of Age of Change by Michelle Gavin. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here. For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/africas-urban-youth-revolution-michelle-gavin

Roxanna Vigil, International Affairs Fellow in National Security at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss rising political violence in Colombia and its consequences for the Andean region and beyond.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Paul J. Angelo, From Peril to Partnership: U.S. Security Assistance and the Bid to Stabilize Colombia and Mexico, Oxford University Press   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/brewing-troubles-colombia-roxanna-vigil

Stephen Walt, Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what a realist U.S. foreign policy would look like.   Mentioned on the Episode:   John Ikenberry, “A New U.S. Grand Strategy: The Case for Liberal Internationalism, With G. John Ikenberry," The President's Inbox   John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt, “The Case for Offshore Balancing: A Superior U.S. Grand Strategy,” Foreign Affairs   Barry Posen, Restraint: A New Foundation for U.S. Grand Strategy, Cornell University Press   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-case-realist-foreign-policy-stephen-walt

Michael Kimmage, professor of history at the Catholic University of America, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the results of the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on the war in Ukraine.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Michael Kimmage, Collisions: The War in Ukraine and the Origins of the New Global Instability   Michael Kimmage and Maria Lipman, “The Limits of Putin’s Balancing Act," Foreign Affairs   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/trump-putin-summit-michael-kimmage

Hal Brands, Henry A. Kissinger distinguished professor of Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and author of The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how and why control of Eurasia affects U.S. national security. This episode is the fifth in a continuing TPI series on U.S. grand strategy.   This episode was originally released by The President’s Inbox on January 21, 2025.   Mentioned on the Episode   Hal Brands, The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World   H. J. Mackinder, “The Geographical Pivot of History,” The Geographical Journal   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/eurasia-challenge-hal-brands

Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow for Southeast Asia and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ongoing border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia and if the current ceasefire will hold up.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Joshua Kurlantzick, Beijing’s Global Media Offensive    Joshua Kurlantzick, “Thailand and Cambodia’s Ceasefire: Will It Stop War When Elites Want Conflict?,” CFR.org    For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/cambodian-thai-border-clash-josh-kurlantzick

Liana Fix, Fellow for Europe at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the current status of the fighting in Ukraine and the significance of President Trump’s recent ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Liana Fix,  “Can NATO Keep It Together?” Foreign Policy   Liana Fix, “How the Berlin Bubble Failed in the Ukraine War,” Internationale Politik   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/donald-trumps-russia-ultimatum-liana-fix

Oliver Stuenkel, associate professor at the School of International Relations at Fundação Getulio Vargas in São Paulo, Brazil, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the recent BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro and what Brazil sees as the group’s purpose.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Oliver Stuenkel,  BRICS and the Future of Global Order   Oliver Stuenkel, IBSA: Rise of the Global South   Oliver Stuenkel, Post-Western World   Oliver Stuenkel, “In Rio, BRICS Tries to Play It Safe," Foreign Policy   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/brazil-brics-oliver-stuenkel

William Henagan, a research fellow at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the current state of U.S. foreign aid programs after President Donald Trump’s reforms.   Mentioned on the Episode:   William Henagan, “Reauthorizing DFC: A Primer for Policymakers,” CFR.org   William Henagan, “Sovereign Funds and American Investment Strategy: How to Responsibly Create a U.S. Strategic Investment Fund,” CFR.org   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/future-us-foreign-aid-william-henagan

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss ongoing efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and the war’s ripple effects across the Middle East.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Elliott Abrams, If You Will It: Rebuilding Jewish Peoplehood for the Twenty-First Century   Elliott Abrams, "Meanwhile, Hamas Is Killing Civilians Who Seek Food," CFR.org   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/elusive-ceasefire-gaza-elliott-abrams

Jack Rakove, the William Robertson Coe professor of history and American studies and professor emeritus of political science and law at Stanford University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why the United States declared independence in 1776 and its meaning for the country today.    Mentioned on the Episode:   Bernard Bailyn, The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Paul Revere’s Ride”   Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution   Jack N. Rakove, Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America   Jack N. Rakove, The Beginnings of National Politics: An Interpretive History of the Continental Congress   1619 Project, New York Times   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/fourth-july-jack-rakove

Erin Dumbacher, Stanton Nuclear Security Senior Fellow at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the U.S. attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities, what the strikes accomplished, and how the conflict might evolve.   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/answering-your-questions-us-airstrikes-iran-erin-dumbacher

Sarang Shidore, director of the Global South Program at the Quincy Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether a return to great power spheres of influence is practical in the twenty-first century.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Sarang Shidore, “Spheres of Influence Are Not the Answer,” Foreign Policy   Sarang Shidore, “The Quiet Development Shaking America’s Power,” New York Times   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/tpi/new-us-grand-strategy-return-spheres-influence-sarang-shidore